St. Louis Post-Dispatch
December 16, 1906 (2)

Historic newspapers carry the language, views and graphic reporting of their time, including racist content. They are shown to teen and adult profiles.

The text was read from the page scans by machine (OCR), so it has mistakes and its columns may run together. See the pages · About this title · At the Internet Archive

Page 1

y 2 res ok ae . ae a ie CO ’ EM eo ee Sk Brighter Outloo | May be the result of read- ing the Farm for Sale ads in today’s Want Columns.

You Cannot Buy Time But you can save it and utilize it to better advantage by readiry and using Post-Dispatch Want Ads, tl a ae ee Take Time to Read Today’s Business Chances PAGES 1—12B A

“POST-DISPATCH PART @WC ST. LOUIS, SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 16, 1906. WEIRD ROMANCE OF A MISSOURI GIRL THAT HAS COST TWO LIVES AND PUT TWO IN THE GIBBET'S SHADOW _Ida Stetz of Wash-

Advertise if what you want is not advertised RE ee

Central Figure in Washington, Mo., Tragedy and the Youths Charged With Murder

, we SPOS oe Pw * Re, Fe 4 / nm , ve > OC -@ a = «= - % Crass sho =. oe MEYER fell shop nts Bunve: i WHO The romance which led up to the killing of Walter Robertson of St. Louis and Otto done with a motive, the motive was his. But all of the evidence Fink’s revolver. It was no secret that Simoon did not like Doriot and that he did not want Ida to live at Doriot'’s house. In One of his letters to ida he had Written: “Has your brother-in-law done anything to you? If so, let me know and I will come and get you.’’ Doriot had talked to many persons about his fear that Simoon would come to the house and cause trouble. 50, when Oscar Meyer, a Washington boy, saw Simoon at the saloon he hur- ried to the Doriot house to.give the alarm. According to the Doriots sev- era] of those who witnessed the trag- edy were already in the house at that time. Walter Robertson of 2415 North Twelfth street, St. Louis, had been there since late in the afternoon, hav- ing gone there with Julius Meyer, who is a cousin of Emil Glaser, and a brother of Oscar Meyer. Early in the evening Glaser had ar- rived at the house to take Ida to the dance. With him was his friend, Otto Buddemeyer. Julius Meyer had when his' brother warning. This is the statement of the Doriots. It makes it appear that there were at least four grown men in the house when Oscar Meyer went there with the word that Simoon was in town. Telling what happened after Meyer arrived, Doriot said: “T went upstairs and got the man who lives there, Anthony Gail, to come down and stay with my wife and children while I went for the Marshal.” Simoon Knocked at Back Door, Things began to happen soon after Doriot left the house. On the street he met Julius Meyer, he says, and asked him to go back and see that everything was all right at home. Before Mever reached the house there were other visitors there. Mrs. Doriot said to a Post-Dispatch reporter: “Someone Knocked at the back door of the kitchen. I called out: ‘Who's there” “A voice said: ‘It’s Charlie.’ It didn’t sound like Charlie Simoon to me. I told him I couldn't open the door. He begged me to let him in and said he only wanted to see Ida. I told him it was no time of night to come to the house and that Ida wasn’t there. [ heard somebody else whispering to him and asked him whio it was. He said: “ ‘You're afraid to open the door be- cause there are two of us. Just to show you that. we're not looking for trouble I'li send the other fellow around to the front door “ ‘He’ knock there and T'll knock \ you can let me in.’ They did was still afraid to let the man at the back door come in. “He seemed angry and after begging me sore more he said: ‘If you don’t let me in I’'H shoot.’ It didn't sound like Charlie’s voice at all. Then he said: ‘[f you will let me in I[ will give you a hundred dollars.’ “Tl again refused. The other man must have come around from the front door for I heard him talking but I couldn't left the house came with the ee OO Oe, Se ee 7 "] |! ie - —~o

FP ®@eeeceee. -“*oam@+eF

Stairs.

somewhere something Annie the evening: girlhood had been taken from the parents to St. Louis by Simoon Iouls, iach Hamilton Hotel, she was known to the companions of of Tony Bohlem, one of the boys as an accessory to the shooting. | Last Tuesday night Bohlem was taken

Washington Jail because re catch the words. It seemed to me though that they decided to go away. . “I stood. and listened they were gone. Then I opened the door and looked out. They were climbing over a picket fence at the west of the house the Opposite . Neither one of them looked like Charlie Simoon to me.” Another Girl Important Witness. While this parley at the door was in progress Ida Stetz and Emil Glaser were in the streets of Washing- Ida says that they started to the dance, but decided that it was best for The girl feeling’ until end from the there. ‘queer not to go she had a something might happen. _ She was not at home when the warn- ing was brought by that she did not in town. Her know Neler may figure of murder are tried. chum of Ida. Finney avenue room She home hila : " re while she was employed Simoon as the an outer to an inner cell —— tee si, — —— a ib, hy nn i f i{ {/ f) se ~— i ~< Ye ioe

en? SAY \

: y) r Ssesmases AND FLIGHT Of SL/100N AND Fine DIAGRAM OF THE BATTLE AS DESCRIBED BY THE DORIOTS Lnarbine |e i a 4, PUR Te y PRR Pe Rene 34.0%, FE AE ee a Rt REO. +

I thought

Oscar Meyer, fear was caused Neier had said oe - “s prominently, as Withess, when the two boys Sha after it was reported

few ee ates + oo »* rn one ¥

~ (ARLES FL iSIMOO

oy that he had hailed a boy from his pris- on window and asked him to take a note to Annie Neler, whose home is two blocks from the Jail. Miss Nejer was at the Doriot home from 6 p. m. to 6:15 p. m. the night of the shooting. She repeatedly asked Ida Stetz if she was going to the dance with Emil Glaser. She was so persistent that the questioning made an Impres- sion on Ida, who says that this was the main reason why she thought it best not to go to the aance. Miss Neier said: “I did ask those questions, but it was just curiosity that made me do it. T didn’t know that Charlie Simoon was coming to town.’’ Watched Girl and Escort. Apparently it took Ida a long time to persuade Glaser that it would be best to remain away from the dance. They were away from the house nearly three hours. They returned just after Mrs. Doriot Icoked out and saw the iwo men climb over the fence. Ida and Glaser stood at the foot of the outside steps at the ea&’t end of the; house. Twenty feet away, according to the boy's, own Statement, Simoon: and Fink skulked in the shadow of a stable and watched the girl and her escort. An electric street lamp threw its light on the pair at the steps. The boys in the shadow saw but were not seen. Simoon savs that he wanted to hear what was being sald, so he carefully kept in the shadow and crept to the east wail of the house only a few feet away the couple. “What, l heard and saw ce mvinced me that it was all off between me and lda,”’ he said. He admits that at that moment he was excited, but he says that he crept back to the stable and told Fink to come He led the way through the shadow to the railroad tracks 75 feet north and into the front yard. Fol- lowed by Fink he walked around — the house to the stairway where he had seen Ida and Glaser. The girl heard them, and with Glaser, she ran up the stairs and hid in a frame summer kitchen on the second floor porch Simoon and Fink did not come around the corner of the house in time to see this flight. hey went to the back door and knocked. Mrs. Doriot again answered. There was another parley, She says that at this time there were no threats and a voice was Charile Simoofi's th Opened Deor for Simoon. according to the story of the Doriots, Julius Meyer arrived at this time, Mrs. Doriot said: “| heard somebody say, ‘What do you want here?’ I recognized Dick's voice. We always‘call Jullus Meyer Dick. I knew that if Dick Was there he would protect us .all right, and I opened the with him. foor.”” ~ fia Doriot says that from that time on she does not know what happened. She was busy trying to save her three ehildren who were asieep in the room adjoining, #he one where the shooting occu

from j ! anything. | the wall at. the east

Julius Meyer takes up the narrative here. To a Washington he said: “As soon as Mrs. Doriot opened the door both men drew their revolvers. Struggle for Simoon’s Pistol. “I caught hold of Simoon from be- hind. I got his left arm with my left hand and pinioned it to his side. With my right I caught the wrist of his gun hand and held his arm straight down- ward. His pistol was discharged and the bullet lodged in the door sill. “In the struggle Simoon and I got Just inside the door, but I kept my hold on him, “The little fellow, Fink, pushed his way past us and entered the room. Si- moon said to him: ““*You shoot and shoot to kill.’ “Simoon pulled the trigger of his pis- tol again, while I held him, but the bul- let jJanrmed and it wouldn't go off. That one shot at the door was the only cue fired fzsom his Weanon. _ Robertson was standing at the west side of the room, near the range, facing us He seemed to be dazed when Fink got Slmoon’s command to shoot he Swung his revolver around, covering €verybady ‘thére: Fight Lasted Three Minutes. ‘Then he pointed it ‘straight at Rob- ertson at a distance of not more than four feet and pulled the .trigger Mhere wasn't any fight at all. all over in three minutes The boys were there, but they Most of them were side. of ‘i To and some were in the other room Wien Robertson was shot every body rushed for the back door. They pushed me and Simoon out Fink rushed out with the rest. He stfll had his rev olv- er in his hand When we had al) got Outside there was another shot, and we saw 4” man fall on the cellar door un- der the stairs. “Just then Simoon the fight at all. Anthony Gall, who lives on the recond floor, said: “I was hiding In the shadow Of the stable when Simoon and Fin ran around the house. They caught sight of men and one of them fred at me. I don't know which one it was. I dropped to the ground to keep from being shot ff they fired again. I guess they thought they had hit me. me and ran around the house with Fink. There was another shot fired out there, and we were afraid to fol- low, as none of us was armed. When we went to the man who was lying under the stairs we found it was Buddemeyer. He was dying. Robertson was killed almost instantly, Neither he nor Buddemeyer was known to Simoon or Fink. They were not concerned in because one of them said: ““l guess you got the right fellow that time.’ ” Simoon and Fink say that they did not know anyone was shot. In leaving the house they must have stumbled over the body of Buddemeyer. They say they didn't notice ft and are positive that no shot was fired outside of the house. One thing the accused boys dg not lt was othre room broke loose from

Post-Dispatch reporter in; most | ward, was found the wad of a #-caliber

didn't do hugging |

a fa know. Near Buddemevyer’s body, under him as he lay face down- shell such as Fink's revolver was load- ed with. Adhering to this wad was a disc of blue cloth, a piece of Budde- meyer’s coat, which had gone entirely through his body with the bullet and the wad. The bullet had not been found, but the wad is held as convincing evidence as to the caliber of the bullet whieh killed Buddemeyer. Fink accounts for only two shots fired from his weapon. Whnit was found at Robertshaw’s house three of the shelis were empty. . The story of the shooting. ag told dy Simoon and Fink, is entirely ‘“fferent from that of Meyer and the | ef wit- nesses. They say that there 4 a ter- rific fight afterthey had been “pus outside the house. YE: Simoon says that he way struck on the head with ~*~ that his pistol was taken ~ that Fink's revolver was from his hand and was © when it hit the floor and tha” else then got the revolver an@® Fink telis the same story. © that he did not voluntarily fire’... They tell of an eight-handed fight which they were overpowered and driven from the house after being set upon by a crowd which rushed upon them when they were trving to enter. lda Stetz and Mra. Doriot are doing all they can to pretect Bimoon. They do net belleve that the men who called at the house Were the same called the second time Miss Stetz says that when she heard two men talking at the corner of the house While she Was at the stairway with Glaser, she thinks she recoge nized the voice of one as that of HBohlem. She “thinks,” name of Robertshaw [da says that when Bimeoon took her from her home at Neler a month ag he showed her a bottle ef chieroform and told her she would be #vurry if she dida*’t go with hir Simoon saya that he doesn't remember having a bottle in his possession at thay time. but that if he di@ It must have contained perfume I didn't threaten ber at all,” he sale. “She came along willingly I treated her right | was very careful about her and wouldn't even let her go to dances while she was in St. Louls | was going to marry her.” Ida ia keeping a diary. She says #ne cannet tell what t* In it now, but se may divulge its secreta if it id necessary to do so to save Bimoon ida Stetze Ip of medium height. Hee face is well rou and her brown hair, which she parts en the side long and has a tendency to wave. Her eyes are @ a ae brown. shaded by lo laahes ey are not flashing eves, 8hé would not be called vivacious. Her voice le low and even. : — ee St.. Louls has more Post-Dispatch readers every day than it hase homes, ' “First in everything.” | : “* too, that «he heard tne rentioned, Bp af Seo ES 2 lees reed ae Sie in Boer ae ee. 5 © aE ya